The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-01-01

ligious thought, the beginning of al
succeeding revelation. 'Back of al
training, all artificial excitement, is the
nature of man fitted for religious ex.
preston. The form of this expression
differs in different nations and peoples
but expression of some kind there is
everywhere. The history Of the relig-
ious and moral beliefs of mankind
proves that one paramount duty we
owe to ourselves, is to train this re-
ligious faculty; this power to appre-
hend God.
We know from this history that this
power revenges itself upon those who
neglect properly to educate and train
it. Having no culture from truth, none
of that knowledge of God which comes
from the study and right understand
ing of the moral order of the universe,
this sense is liable to beget in human
minds a most torturing and insensate
fear. Out of the shadowso of such igno-
rance any grotesque and awful form
may rise to haunt the Imagination and
sway the judgment. All religions in
their crude and primitive state are
characterized by this inglorious fear.
This sense of God within and without,
when left to barren growth, takes on
the lowest forms of superstition, runs
out into the grossest fanaticism, and
ends, almost surely, in the most un-
holy practices. 1t is this faculty I'M
taught by any word of divine authority,
unperceptive of the divine order of
things, that tempts men to bow down
to idols of wood and stone, to worship
animals and heavenly bodies. 1t is
this faculty, unenlightened by truth,
that impels the Hindoo mother to toss
her living babe into the open jaws of
the crocodile. 1t is this faculty driven to
excess by morbid feeling that has drawn
thousands of holy men and women into
the cloisters of the mOna5teries and
nunneries of the Romish church, instead
of taking them out into the world, an
army ofsWeet and gentle spirits,t to carry
on holy warfare for Christ and his
kingdom. Lacking true understand
ing this faculty has revenged itself up
on Christian peoples, by begetting a re-
ligion of fear of the endless and unap-
peasable wrath of God poured out upon
the souls which he has of his own free
will begotten. 1t seems, therefore, that
the tremendous need of humanity. ..isA
the need Of a true, judicious train
ing of the religious faculty. OF itself
it is not infallible. Like our judgment,
our reason, our power to discriminate,
it needs to be properly trained. Darken-
ed by error, this sense of God, from
which no human soul ever did, or ever
can escape, has driven humanity into
the widest fanaticism, the most cor
rupt superstitions, the most immoral
practices. The need of educating this
faculty to appTehend God Alright of
training it into the perfect understand
ing of his divine order and revelation
of enlightening it by divine truth, and
kindling it with holy love, must be
plain. There is no line to measure
the wide difference in the condition of
a soul plunged in moral darkness, lost
in error, crouching in fear, and the con-
dition of one illumined by truth, in
spired by love, soothed by trust, exalted
by faith, crowned by hope. But all
this immeasurably wide, deep dispari-
ty there is between the life of soul,
which, having within it this eyer-abid
ing sense of God, knows him truly
loves and worships him truly, and one
which does not TO such sacred use as
this the God of all grace has solemnly
dedicated this one day in seven. Man
desp0ils himself and ruins his peace
when he habitually neglects, or scorn-
fully spurns this most excellent gift.